July 18, 2012

Bbq Portabella Mushroom Burger


Burgers are a summer staple –I get so jealous when the unwavering aroma of a grilled burger wafts down the street from a neighbor’s house. If it werent so awkward for me to knock on the door, drooling, and request a plate, I probably would.

An amazing burger is juicy, chocked full of flavor and kind of artistic if you think about it.  You can put just about anything on a burger and nobody will judge you--- bacon, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, peppers, pesto, avocado, cheese…..oh, don’t even get me started on all the types of cheese that would be fabulous {my sister in law and I will be living in a house made of cheese one day}!

These burgers I made last night were definitely a work of art….and I will admit to you now that there was not an ounce of meat in them!! That’s right, I totally snuck a grilled portabella burger onto my boy’s plate and they ate up every last bite. 

 My sneak attack plan started while they were out of the house at Taekwondo.  I prepped the mushrooms, sprinkled on some oil and spices, hit the grill and assembled the burgers just as they were walking back in the door.  I knew I had to step it up a bit from the traditional toppings of lettuce and tomato so I got crafty & colorful and piled high with my husband’s top secret homemade bbq sauce, crispy onion straws, and pepperjack cheese on my brother-in-laws top secret melt-in-your-mouth yeast rolls. 

Mission accomplished! 

And they were still talking about how tasty they were today.  I am not one to pat myself on the back often but that deserved a double pat if you ask me! For bonus brownie points, serve with homemade roasted potato fries.


Have a Splendid Day!
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Ingredients for Portabella Mushroom Burgers

This recipe works best by "eyeballing" amounts of spices, sprinkling well on both sides of the mushromm to coat evenly.

4 Large Portabella Mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
8 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Paprika
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
4 slices PepperJack Cheese
½ Cup Bbq Sauce, divided
1/2 Cup Crispy Onion Straws
Baby Spinach Leaves
Horseradish Sauce {optional}
4 Good Quality Burger Buns
1 Tbsp Butter

Directions

Remove stems from mushrooms and discard.  Gently scrape the gills from the inside of mushroom caps, removing all black with a small spoon. 

Rub 2 Tablespoons olive oil on each mushroom, coating well.  Sprinkle enough of the spices; paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper onto both sides of the portabella mushroom, allowing for good coverage. Spoon 1/4 of a cup of bbq sauce over top side of mushrooms and set aside.

Prepare a barbecue or grill to medium heat. Place mushrooms top side down on grill and cook about
4-5 minutes.  Turn mushrooms over and continue cooking until juices begin to run clear, another 3-4 minutes. Flip mushrooms back to top end up and place cheese slices across each mushroom and cook 2 minutes until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and tent with aluminum foil.

Slice buns open and spread butter evenly on the insides of each bun.  Place on hot grill for 2-3 minutes, until slightly crispy and grill marks have appeared.

Assemble burgers by spreading a thin layer of horseradish sauce on the bottom bun. Place a layer of spinach and then the portabella mushroom on top.  Sprinkle crispy onion strings over the mushroom and finish with a spoonful of bbq sauce. Top with the other half of bun and serve immediately.

Serves 4






July 14, 2012

Garden Panzanella Salad


Hey Y'All! :}

So, you may have noticed that I've been MIA for a few weeks, {and maybe you are too tied up in your own summer that you haven't} but listen, I can explain.....Texas was a callin' me. There must of been a logical reason that I would choose to go to a 100 degree state with like 100% humidity in July, RIGHT?!

Well there was, so you can call off the sanity check. Two of the most gregarious, delightful, entertaining children of all time live there and belong to me as nephews. AND, my most favorite sister in law east of California just so happens to be their mommy so I got to relish in a week of their presence along with the bundles of joy {yes, plural!} she is keeping warm & expecting for arrival in the fall. As the unexpecting and still energetic one, it was my sisterly duty to affirm a constant supply of brownie sundaes, giggling children and the tug-of-war battle between the playroom and a toddler.

Now that I am back in my home state and finally functioning again {it's amazing how you really do need a vacation after a vacation...life takes an eternity to get back to normal!}, I've trekked back into my abundant garden and stumbled upon all sorts of farm fresh treasures; lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, zucchini, green beans, peppers and oh so much more! 

I decided in honor of my veggie lovin' sister-in-law, I would make a beautiful Florence style Panzanella salad.  I'm sure this tomato, bread and basil beauty will shoot her pregnancy cravings on overdrive, but hopefully she isn't too bummed that I'm not there to make it for her ;)

Technically, a Panzanella salad is made with stale bread, tomatoes and oil & vinegar, but of course, leave it to a splendid kitchen to create this lovely variation.  You may also use just about any vegetable you love or have growing in your own garden.  Flawless as is and perfect for a side dish or a simple entree but I will share my son's tip upon first bite...."needs bacon", lol! He is so brilliant!


Have a Splendid Day!
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Ingredients for Garden Panzanella Salad
by Splendor in the Kitchen

3 Small Lemon Cucumbers, peeled and chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 Medium sized Zucchini, sliced in 1/2" pieces
1 Heirloom Tomato, chopped in 1/2 " pieces
8-10 Kalamata Olives, pitted and sliced lengthwise
2 Peppadew Peppers, drained and sliced thinly
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, loosely packed
2 Tbsp Shaved Parmesan Cheese
2 Slices Good Quality Sourdough Bread, sliced 1" thick
Extra Virgin Olive Oil {approx 4-5 Tbsp}
Blood Orange Vinegar, to taste {you can substitute balsamic or red wine}
Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste


Directions

Heat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. 

Lightly brush zucchini slices and bread slices with olive oil on both sides.  Cook on grill just until you have grill marks on each side and zucchini is crisp but tender in the center and bread is crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled down, cut into 1/2' pieces.

Assemble the salad by adding cucumbers, zucchini, tomato, olives, peppers and bread to a bowl. Stack all basil leaves in a pile, roll and slice thinly.  Add basil and cheese.  Give the salad a sprinkle of salt and a very generous portion of freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir salad, then add a small amount of vinegar {about 1 teaspoon to begin with} and 2-3 Tbsp olive oil.  Adjust according to your likely.

Refrigerate at least 20 minutes prior to serving.

Serves 2-4 as a side dish.